COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTIONPlums are a diverse group of species, with somewhere between 19 & 40 varieties depending upon whom you ask. Weíre using what we consider to be the best to brew with. the Italian plum has beautiful dark skin & the flesh is perfect for fermentation.
Plum Noirís mild sweetness is derived no necessarily from the many malts we use. A bit of plum flavor is present as well as earthy, toasted grains, & hints of caramel with mild coffee overtones.

I loved the concept of this beer, but the execution was flawed. It has porter character, and plum, but they donít mesh very well. Itís hard to explain why, but the plum just seemed tacked-on, and it came across as a decent but lackluster beer. It was pretty light in the palate, which was strange since I was expecting a rich & decadent beer.

Poured into a snifter.
3.0 A: Black color. One and a half fingers of frothy light brown head. Retention is a tad below average and no lacing is left.
4.25 S: This smells pretty damn great. The plums work so well in this. Soft, but potent roastiness. Chocolate up front with caramel undertones. Plum fruitiness foremost then black currant and grape. Itís not overly complex, but what is there fits together so well.
3.75 T: Taste is very good, but it canít compete with the beauty that is the nose. Same flavors overall. Supple roastiness, chocolate and caramel, plum, currant, grape, and a peppery spiciness.
3.25 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation. This is missing creaminess. With it, this would fit just perfectly.
3.5 D: Tasty brew with a great nose. Pick this up if you find it.
DavoleBomb, Jun 04, 2013

Bottle from Haggenís Grocery, Burlington; bottled 05/02/13, 1Ĺ years oldBlack color with thin persistent beige layer. Delicate notes or roasted malts and cream. The body is drier and thinner than expected; dark flavors, roasted malt, burnt caramel, a hint of coffee, and a light sourness that could be from the fruit.Smooth but not impressive.

Poured from bomber into snifter. Pours a thin black with moderate head. Pretty muted aroma with a bit of roastiness and some sweet herbalness. Taste is fairly gentle, with a background roast, complementary hops and a soft fruity sweetness. The fruity sweetness doesn't come across as plums but it's still lighter than the dark fruits you generally encounter in dark beers. In fact, this whole beer feels a bit light. It could be seen as a weakness depending on your expectations/desires, but I think it works well. Easy drinking and smooth.

Grumbler purchase from Breeze-IN, Juneau AK.
This was poured into a pint glass.
The appearance was a nice looking black color with a one finger white foamy head that dissipated within about thirty seconds leaving a nice clingy and somewhat stringy lacing that shows a nice slide to it as well.
The smell was a deep dark fruity / dried plum to slight dark chocolate.
The taste was mainly dried sweet dark fruit (plum) and a ripe slight vinous quality.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a fairly decent sessionability about it. The carbonation was somewhat subdued but mostly just giving off a decent dry quality rolling over my tongue. Overall, I say this was a pretty good Imperial iced porter I think I could return to.

THOUGHTS: Even without the plum, this would be a very nice imperial porter. The plums really came out more as it warmed.
TECHNICAL: Drank 5/11/2013. Bottle. Poured a very dark brown that was pretty much black in the glass with an average, tan head. The aroma had moderate roasted malts, dark chocolate and coffee; plum, prune, something floral and hints of spices. The initial flavor was lightly sweet and slightly bitter; while the finish was lightly acidic and moderately sweet and bitter with an average duration. There was plum, coffee, roasted malt, prune, dark chocolate and some yeast. The medium to full body was silky then dry with sort of soft but tingly carbonation and a dry and ever-so-slightly alcoholic finish.

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